Best Neighbors by Pat Simmons

Among friends, among neighbors, among family. This is how I would describe an evening out with three couples for Kerry and my wedding anniversary. A fourth couple had last-minute plans.

These are three couples from my cul-de-sac. The couple beside Kerry and I have been our neighbors for thirty-plus years. Our girls grew up together, and we know each other families.  Jay(in the white shirt) and his wife are the newcomers to the right next of us. They are great neighbors who make others competitive. Well....me, at least. They had a new patio poured and put flower pots on it; I bought them for mine. I was going to do it any way but never got to it until I saw theirs. LOL. When one sets out their trash bins, so does the other, or if one gets their tree cut down, others follow. We're a commercial.

The last couple on the end turned out to be our cousins. They had only lived on our court for five years before we discovered it. Actually, he knocked on our door and said they were related after receiving a copy of the family reunion letter we sent to his aunt.

What better way to celebrate our thirty-ninth anniversary than with couples to hear about how each other met. Funny stories. The best story of the night was from our cousins and their dog.

If the Lord wills, some of us are planning a European trip next year. 

Until next time, happy summer.

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Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of more than thirty titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a four-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Christmas Dinner was also an Emma Award winner for Book of the Year. Christmas Dinner and Here for You were featured in Woman’s World Magazine.

As a Christian, Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and worked in various positions in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.